Dr. Mack Gillenwater earned an A.B. in Geography from Marshall in 1957 and an M.A. in Geography from Marshall in 1958. Before joining the Marshall University faculty in 1968, he taught at Pembroke State College, East Carolina University, and Shawnee State College. In 1972, he earned a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In the course of his career at Marshall, he participated in faculty exchange programs with the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija in Madrid, Spain, and at Beijing Normal University in China. Dr. Gillenwater was instrumental in the establishment of the Coalways and Coal Mining Heritage projects. He coordinated a comprehensive study of historic preservation and tourism in the greater Huntington metropolitan area including Ashland, Kentucky, and Ironton, Ohio, and he completed ten historic preservation surveys for the West Virginia Department of Culture and History. In 1998, he was selected by the West Virginia Consortium for Faculty and Course Development in International Affairs to participate in a Fulbright- Hays Group Study Project in Brazil. In October 2013, Dr. Gillenwater was recognized with the Beacon of the Coalfields, Nick J. Rahall II Outstanding Achievement Award presented by the Coal Heritage Highway Authority and the National Coal Heritage Area to honor his efforts in preserving and interpreting West Virginia coal history. He retired from Marshall as Professor Emeritus. Dr. Gillenwater passed away on December 12, 2017.